Ok, I guess I should admit that I only get around to planning my menu for the week on Sunday night. AFTER I've had to scrounge around for something to feed the family for supper! One day I will learn to move the planning time up a bit...
We're still fighting off colds here, it seems to be cycling through the whole family...
So here's the plan, and it's really got to be low-intensity cooking this week. I'm already under the weather and just need to get some rest (and my morale was just destroyed by the latest horrific terrorist attack, I just can't stop thinking about it):
Sunday night: Vegetable soup and Pasta
Monday night: Split Pea Soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, cut vegetables
Tuesday night: Vegetable Soup, Rice, Scrambled eggs, ??
Wednesday night: Minestrone Soup, garlic bread
Thursday night: Whatever is left
Lunches? who knows. Maybe the kids won't be hungry? Somehow, I'm sure we'll figure it out. They can always boil up some pasta...
I am having a hard time transitioning to summer menus. It's hot and I have little energy in the late afternoon for cooking. SOOO... if you have ideas for healthy suppers that 1)my husband and kids will eat 2)preferably don't have too many ingredients I'm unable to eat (right now that includes nuts, dairy, and wheat), 3) can be eaten cold, and 4) are not expensive and are preferably vegetarian, PLEASE let me know!
In the meantime here's my plan for the week:
Sunday night: rice, roasted kishuim, roasted corn, baked beans, watermelon
Monday night: Garlic bread, lasagna, salad (I'll probably have polenta with tomato sauce and nutritional yeast) - that's a birthday dinner!
Tuesday night: Scrambled eggs, home-fries, cut vegetables
Wednesday night: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (more polenta for me), make-your-own salad
Thursday night: No idea yet!
Lunches will be random whatever shmorgasbord of things I can put together without too much thought...
How are you handling this summer heat?
Friends, it is time to plan a menu for the week!
We were actually supposed to have a family menu-planning session, but haven't gotten back to it. Have you ever done that?
I'm not 100% sure I recommend it, but we do them anyway. We have had so many unrealistic suggestions (ice cream and m&ms do NOT make a meal, my dear children!), that I regret having them sometimes... But I do feel it's good to check in with the family, hear what they have to say about meals and menus, discuss the basics of healthy eating, and try to accommodate the stronger preferences they may express (but no, no matter how many times they ask, we will not have pizza and pasta on a daily basis, sorry everyone!).
So here's the plan for the week
Sunday: Pizza night
Monday: Shabbat leftovers
Tuesday: Lentil Soup, rice, stir-fried veggies (with seitan? I found some in my freezer, that was bought on sale at some point)
Wednesday: Tomato soup with rice, scrambled eggs, salad
Thursday: Baked potatoes with assorted toppings, leftovers from the week
Lunches will be sandwiches, pancakes, and random things I find in the freezer
Besides the focus on really inexpensive foods, this menu is basically a pantry challenge menu - I will need to buy eggs and some fresh vegetables, but otherwise I think we have enough to get by. (We may be running out of flour, I should really check!)
Looking forward to a productive week without spending far too much (time and money) on food!
Some notes about the cost of food: I use brown rice (I normally pay 7-8 shekels/kg), whole wheat flour (4.50/kg) and red lentils (8-9 shekels/kg) regularly. This way we are still eating healthy complex carbs, but not spending a lot of money on them. We've been buying potatoes, carrots, cabbages, onions, and more for 1-2 shekels/kg, and celery cost me 2 shekels/bunch last week, so I have plenty. Also I managed to get the largest head of lettuce I've ever seen - certified no pesticides - for 4 shekels. I'll be eating lettuce all week long, for just 4 shekels! I'm sure it would cost me more in water and fertilizer to grow my own. And lately, I have not been so interested in foraging greens (my spring allergies are acting up and making me sneezy and sleepy!),
so finding inexpensive greens is a really good thing.
What inexpensive pantry staples do you rely on? What about inexpensive vegetables? Do you have access to vegetables for 1-2 shekels/kg?
It's that time of the week again - you know, when I realize that if I don't plan out certain things, we'll just get STUCK!
Among all the other things requiring my attention is our menu planning.
So here' what we're having this week:
Breakfasts: muffins, oatmeal, toast, cereal, fruit
Lunches: Soups, sandwiches, random leftovers
Suppers: Sunday: Shabbat leftovers
Monday: Vegetable-Barley Soup, Fresh whole wheat dinner rolls with butter
Tuesday: Split Pea Soup, ??
Wednesday: Baked Ziti, Salad
Thursday: Spicy Potatoes, Scrambled Eggs, Salad
Of course, this menu is subject to change according to my mood!
What's your menu for the week look like?
It's summer, which is the time of year I always get cooking burnout.
(I think I mentioned it recently on this blog, actually!)
In summer, I just want to drink cold drinks, have some ice cream, some watermelon, maybe a granola bar, and call it a day.
But somehow that just doesn't cut it for growing kids, and to be honest, if I keep that up too long, I don't feel so good either.
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| make your own salad |
So we have to cook sometimes... Whenever possible, I plan to cook at night, like the black bean meatballs will have to be made on Tuesday night.
Here's this week's supper plan:
Sunday: Random - Pitot and Spreads, Vegetable lo-mein, and apple-pear crisp with ice cream
Monday: Whatever was left from Shabbat, plus a fresh salad and some steamed broccoli/cauliflower
Tuesday: Roasted Vegetable Gazpacho, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, make your own salad
Wednesday: Rice, Stir-Fried Vegetables, Black bean "meatballs" in sweet and sour sauce
Thursday: Pizza (quick and easy crust!), Steamed Broccoli/Cauliflower, make your own salad
And that should help me keep suppers on track this week! What's your summer cooking look like?
Ok, I guess I should admit that I only get around to planning my menu for the week on Sunday night. AFTER I've had to scrounge around for something to feed the family for supper! One day I will learn to move the planning time up a bit...
